HAMPTON, Ga.—Martin Truex Jr. didn’t have a dream weekend at Atlanta, but the Michael Waltrip Racing driver came close.

Two days after announcing a contract extension with MWR and sponsor NAPA, Truex nearly won the Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway—in NAPA’s backyard.

Truex took the lead for the first time on lap 281 of 325 and was enjoying a four-second lead when Jamie McMurray blew a tire and crashed to bring out the sixth and final caution flag on lap 321.

The leaders all hit pit road for fresh tires and fuel and Denny Hamlin came out first ahead of Truex, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski.

Hamlin streaked away on the green-white-checkered restart but Truex bobbled. Gordon and Keselowski got around Truex and finished second and third, respectively, behind race-winner Hamlin.

Truex had to settle for fourth.

“Just spun the tires,” Truex said. “All night long, I had trouble when I was on the outside with spinning the tires. As soon as I went to third gear it was really strange. Usually I get it into second and then when you get to third you’re OK.

“I’d be OK in second and be right there with him and get to third at the start/finish line and just smoke the tires like a dragster. It just wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”

Despite being unable to win and end a winless streak dating back to 2007 and 192 races, Truex did lock himself into the Chase. But the MWR driver was in no mood to celebrate his first Chase berth since 2007 and the first for MWR.

“There will be plenty of positive tomorrow,” he said. “It’s tough losing when you haven’t won in a long time. People keep asking, ‘When are you going to win? When are you going to win?’

“We’re close. Just sucks we couldn’t get it done tonight.”

While Truex failed to take the win, crew chief Chad Johnston believes his team is headed in the right direction just one race before the start of the Chase.

“It’s disappointing not to get the win, but it’s a big accomplishment,” Johnston said. “Obviously we wanted to win the race; it’s frustrating that you can go 320 laps without any right-front tire problems, and with five laps to go when you’re leading the race, somebody blows a right-front.

“We’ll go to Richmond with guns a blazing and see if we can’t make some noise in the Chase. Well go forward and we’ll get us one before the end of the year.”